Great place to live, schools are like most in the area, larger than they should be. Kids are out now. Had a few great teachers, a few horrible teachers and rest got the job done.

If in AAP and then take honors and AP courses kids are prepared for and get into a wide range of colleges. Prepare to support with tutoring in those instances where needed.

Sandburg and West Potomac have different subcultures so not really as big as they appear.

It’s a great area and kids turn out just fine.

One of my children attended Fort Hunt for the Immersion program and earned three HS credits after taking the World Language exam in 8th grade.

The band and choir program at Sandburg MS are excellent. Teachers are responsive and engaged in her Honors classes. Mr. Underhill (Principal) is very smart, adaptable, responsive, and engaged. Is it crowded? Yes.

I’ve known plenty of families who have sent their children to excellent schools after they graduated from West Potomac—Yale, University of Southern California, University of Virginia, and many other places.

Most of all, people are nice and down to earth around here. Between school, sports, church, swim clubs, etc. you really get to know a lot of people so the area has a small-town feel, at times. Mount Vernon area, included.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why do you ask? Seems like a variation on another locked thread.

Op - sorry we love the area and want to know more about those schools.

What thread was locked?

The boundary one. Which area in particular are you asking about.

Op - the Stratford landing area

I was reading the local reddit sites for FFX schools and someone mentioned Stratford Landing was a good area. I have no idea as to the veracity of that statement and I am embarrassed to admit I read reddit but their posters were spot on about the various schools in the area. The info was also relatively current--within the last 6 months or even sooner. I think people were even saying which private school kids go to ---St Rita's was one off of Russell Rd, definitely check it out. Those reddit users sure know about DCUM too.

It is a great area to live! Don’t live there but in a neighborhood close by.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Op - what I am most nervous about is the size of the middle and high schools. I went to a very small school (not in Virginia) and the student population of Sandburg and west Potomac seems insane to me! I just can’t imagine my kids being able to handle 800+ person graduating classes.

Most schools in fcps are large so if you want a smaller school, go private. My son went to Ft. Hunt then to Stratford for AAP, we moved and my my daughter went to Waynewood and stayed for their AAP hybrid. Both were fine, but back in the day Stratford AAP was a well oiled machine. Not quite the same anymore. Carl Sandburg is awful even with a AAP/ honors kid. Lastly, I had one kid got to TJ and the other West Po. Surprisingly, Westpo is fine for AP/honors classes and better experience than Carl Sandburg by far.

Btw-Ft Hunt was great too for the couple years we were there and then moved to Stratford.

Anonymous wrote:Op - what I am most nervous about is the size of the middle and high schools. I went to a very small school (not in Virginia) and the student population of Sandburg and west Potomac seems insane to me! I just can’t imagine my kids being able to handle 800+ person graduating classes.

Most schools in fcps are large so if you want a smaller school, go private. My son went to Ft. Hunt then to Stratford for AAP, we moved and my my daughter went to Waynewood and stayed for their AAP hybrid. Both were fine, but back in the day Stratford AAP was a well oiled machine. Not quite the same anymore. Carl Sandburg is awful even with a AAP/ honors kid. Lastly, I had one kid got to TJ and the other West Po. Surprisingly, Westpo is fine for AP/honors classes and better experience than Carl Sandburg by far.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why do you ask? Seems like a variation on another locked thread.

Op - sorry we love the area and want to know more about those schools.

What thread was locked?

The boundary one. Which area in particular are you asking about.

Op - the Stratford landing area

I was reading the local reddit sites for FFX schools and someone mentioned Stratford Landing was a good area. I have no idea as to the veracity of that statement and I am embarrassed to admit I read reddit but their posters were spot on about the various schools in the area. The info was also relatively current--within the last 6 months or even sooner. I think people were even saying which private school kids go to ---St Rita's was one off of Russell Rd, definitely check it out. Those reddit users sure know about DCUM too.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Op - what I am most nervous about is the size of the middle and high schools. I went to a very small school (not in Virginia) and the student population of Sandburg and west Potomac seems insane to me! I just can’t imagine my kids being able to handle 800+ person graduating classes.

Sandberg is something that kids have to get through. The latest communication form the school implies a strong shift to harsher discipline which is really need with the amount of fights. I disagree with PP about needing to be in AA. An honors schedule will keep a kid away from the worst of it.

NP. I am nowhere near that area of Ffx County, but would you mind sharing the email? Our school is also out of control with terrible behavior and I wish they'd send an email like that.

Anonymous wrote:I am the “holy cow” poster and I was very curious once you said LBSS because we’re your neighbors to the east in Irving and West Springfield HS, and I knew LB was big but didn’t think that big!

Hey Neighbor! Yeah, I messed up b/c of the way US News and World Reports presents the info. I looked at your school b/c I thought uggh middle and high school students mixed together but it's not the way it works.

I am the “holy cow” poster and I was very curious once you said LBSS because we’re your neighbors to the east in Irving and West Springfield HS, and I knew LB was big but didn’t think that big!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Op - what I am most nervous about is the size of the middle and high schools. I went to a very small school (not in Virginia) and the student population of Sandburg and west Potomac seems insane to me! I just can’t imagine my kids being able to handle 800+ person graduating classes.

I think this is consistent across FCPS.

A lot of the schools at the middle and high school level have large student populations in FFX County. My child is in a middle school that has 2821 for 7 and 8th. That size seem too large to me as well since my middle school growing up was significantly smaller. Child doesn't seem to mind it.

Holy cow! Which middle school is this? That’s almost as large as our high school!

Fake information.

Lake Braddock currently has 1440 students in grades 7 and 8, and 2948 students in grades 9 through 12.

Obviously that's a ton of kids at a single campus, but it is NOT 2821 kids in grades 7 and 8 as PP incorrectly stated.

Whoops! Sorry. I kept getting mixed data on my quick look ups. Thanks for the correction.

It's the way US News and World Reports is reporting. I looked up the high school and it is 2821 for 9-12 and 4368 for total including high and middle school;Your numbers are much more up to date, and I forgot to subtract b/c I mis-read.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Op - what I am most nervous about is the size of the middle and high schools. I went to a very small school (not in Virginia) and the student population of Sandburg and west Potomac seems insane to me! I just can’t imagine my kids being able to handle 800+ person graduating classes.

I think this is consistent across FCPS.

A lot of the schools at the middle and high school level have large student populations in FFX County. My child is in a middle school that has 2821 for 7 and 8th. That size seem too large to me as well since my middle school growing up was significantly smaller. Child doesn't seem to mind it.

Holy cow! Which middle school is this? That’s almost as large as our high school!

Fake information.

Lake Braddock currently has 1440 students in grades 7 and 8, and 2948 students in grades 9 through 12.

Obviously that's a ton of kids at a single campus, but it is NOT 2821 kids in grades 7 and 8 as PP incorrectly stated.

Whoops! Sorry. I kept getting mixed data on my quick look ups. Thanks for the correction.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Op - what I am most nervous about is the size of the middle and high schools. I went to a very small school (not in Virginia) and the student population of Sandburg and west Potomac seems insane to me! I just can’t imagine my kids being able to handle 800+ person graduating classes.

I think this is consistent across FCPS.

A lot of the schools at the middle and high school level have large student populations in FFX County. My child is in a middle school that has 2821 for 7 and 8th. That size seem too large to me as well since my middle school growing up was significantly smaller. Child doesn't seem to mind it.

Holy cow! Which middle school is this? That’s almost as large as our high school!

Fake information.

Lake Braddock currently has 1440 students in grades 7 and 8, and 2948 students in grades 9 through 12.

Obviously that's a ton of kids at a single campus, but it is NOT 2821 kids in grades 7 and 8 as PP incorrectly stated.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Op - what I am most nervous about is the size of the middle and high schools. I went to a very small school (not in Virginia) and the student population of Sandburg and west Potomac seems insane to me! I just can’t imagine my kids being able to handle 800+ person graduating classes.

I think this is consistent across FCPS.

A lot of the schools at the middle and high school level have large student populations in FFX County. My child is in a middle school that has 2821 for 7 and 8th. That size seem too large to me as well since my middle school growing up was significantly smaller. Child doesn't seem to mind it.

Holy cow! Which middle school is this? That’s almost as large as our high school!

LBSS. Yeah, the large size was intimidating to me too. I went to a middle school in APS that was nowhere near that size. My child only complains about the hallways being crowded, the buses, and going to the bathroom. Supposedly the student to teacher ratio is 15:1.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Op - what I am most nervous about is the size of the middle and high schools. I went to a very small school (not in Virginia) and the student population of Sandburg and west Potomac seems insane to me! I just can’t imagine my kids being able to handle 800+ person graduating classes.

I think this is consistent across FCPS.

A lot of the schools at the middle and high school level have large student populations in FFX County. My child is in a middle school that has 2821 for 7 and 8th. That size seem too large to me as well since my middle school growing up was significantly smaller. Child doesn't seem to mind it.

Holy cow! Which middle school is this? That’s almost as large as our high school!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Op - what I am most nervous about is the size of the middle and high schools. I went to a very small school (not in Virginia) and the student population of Sandburg and west Potomac seems insane to me! I just can’t imagine my kids being able to handle 800+ person graduating classes.

I think this is consistent across FCPS.

A lot of the schools at the middle and high school level have large student populations in FFX County. My child is in a middle school that has 2821 for 7 and 8th. That size seem too large to me as well since my middle school growing up was significantly smaller. Child doesn't seem to mind it.